Bhubaneswar: Former Polasara MLA and BJP leader Niranjan Pradhan passed away on Thursday night at the age of 67 while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.

He had been ill for nearly a month and was being treated for multiple health complications, including brain haemorrhage and blood clot, family sources said. Pradhan was also suffering from diabetes.

Pradhan, who was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2004 and 2009 on a Biju Janata Dal (BJD) ticket, later joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 after being denied a BJD ticket for that year’s elections.

Pradhan’s political career saw major success when he was elected as an MLA from the Kodala Assembly constituency in the 2004 state elections. He followed this up with another victory in 2009, this time representing the Polasara constituency.

Political leaders cutting across party lines condoled the demise of Pradhan.